Bogota

This is the first weekend that I've had in the UK in a while. Its also the last one until early July. I'll be hanging out with my daughter and getting reacquainted with a world of Barbies, ice cream and pizza. Her innocent optimism is a tonic.
I'm here most of the weekend anyway.
Tomorrow night I'm in Amsterdam and back Monday late afternoon.
Then Washington Wednesday....directly to Dubai the following Sunday......New Delhi, Bombay...back to Dubai.
You get the idea.
Columbia feels a long time ago.

On my last day in Bogota, my colleague and I went up ANOTHER cable car to visit a church over looking the city. Away off to the right on another mountain is a statue of the Virgin Mary. The cab driver said it was far too dangerous to visit.

An icon gone bad.

Bogota is 2600 ft above sea level. The "mountain" added roughly 300 feet and though I wasn't out of breath, I did have a persistent headache for part of the time I was there.

Here are my impressions of Columbia:

• Breasts are BIG in Medellin (natural AND with a little help from the surgeon), and pretty much like everywhere else in Bogota
• The women in Medellin are gorgeous.In Bogota, they're pretty much like anywhere else.
• Coffee was a disappointment. In the land of Juan Valdez I expected a killer cup everywhere, but it was universally pretty mediocre
• The country wasn't anywhere near as scary as I'd heard.
• It's a little scary though.
• There's a big gulf between the haves and have nots.
• The wealthy live in a luxurious bubble.
• Dancing midgets are disturbing but oddly compelling.
• There are a lot of guns in Columbia.
• Clearly cocaine has generated much of the wealth, but I never heard or saw anyone using it or talking about it.
• Everyone seemed friendly and anxious to chat. My lack of Spanish meant there was little chatting and a fair amount of puzzled listening.
• People were quick to smile.
• When you meet Americans they greet you with enthusiasm.
• Americans come to Columbia to get their teeth fixed and their face de-wrinkled.
• They also come for other things but I'm not entirely sure what they are.
• Its important to know that you know nothing about Columbia. You'll be just fine if you remember that.
• Travel with people who know what they're about.
• If you go backpacking in the countryside, you're a dumbass and will end up chained to a post eating rice and beans with your hands.
• I never felt unsafe.
• Uneasy a couple of times, but never unsafe.
• Did I mention that breasts were a big deal in Medellin?- From the teenager to the dowager, breasts are kind of central to being put together.
• I'll be back

That's it.

Nothing inspiring today.

Interesting stuff on the horizon.

Love to all

T